A good education system is fundamental to a nation that wants to be economically and otherwise independent. In my view, India still has a long way to go to reach this goal.
As a student, I’ve seen many improvements in our school curriculum.Through the years, I have seen the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) try to provide "balanced textbooks" and helpful supplementary texts. Yet problems like emphasis on memorizing certain paragraphs from books and evaluation on the basis of "bookish knowledge" still persist.
These dilemmas need to be amended with the help of educators, parents, and teachers. What can be done to alleviate the crisis?
Most students want to enroll in a good school and get a good education. But our education system needs a lot of changes and improvements.
"Today, technology is a significant driver behind change, and sometimes plays an important role in innovations in educational design and delivery. There are immense possibilities for greater and wider-spread change with the use of present-day technological advancements, as well as with the implementation of innovative educational programs. The challenge is to ensure that innovation plays a constructive role in improving educational opportunities for billions of people who remain under-served in a rapidly developing world".
For more information about the subject, look at the following link:
http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/innovation.php
The great Philosopher Socrrates had said "Education is not the filling of a vessel but the kindling of a flame". The word Education itself comes from the word "Educere" which means to bring out what is already in and not blindly stuff in. The purpose of Education is to detect talent proactively. For this, it is essential that education has to be based on application and intelligence( with open book exams wherever necessary) instead of trying to test memory of knowledge. This is especially so in the era of internet where everybody can have the knowledge but it is only one's intelligence with which one can distinguish or differentiate oneself. Memory does not have that much significance since everything is there on the net- its application that should matter and be tested. Since people tend to remember more of what they happen to be interested in, memory can be a tool to know vocation instead of an end in itself. Children can be made aware of main memory techniques.
Most students want to enroll in a good school and get a good education. But our education system needs a lot of changes and improvements.
"Today, technology is a significant driver behind change, and sometimes plays an important role in innovations in educational design and delivery. There are immense possibilities for greater and wider-spread change with the use of present-day technological advancements, as well as with the implementation of innovative educational programs. The challenge is to ensure that innovation plays a constructive role in improving educational opportunities for billions of people who remain under-served in a rapidly developing world".
For more information about the subject, look at the following link:
http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/innovation.php
Many parents have difficulties to raise two children. Imagine teachers/professors that have to deal simultaneously with >>20 children/students all having different social backgrounds. If possible, I would first reduce the number of children/students per class, e.g. to improve efficiency. I understand this is not always possible because of logistic/time constraints. On the other hand, investment in future generations (e.g. long-term vision) is as important as investment in current generations (e.g. short-term vision).
An educational system does not need to be changed, but improved. New ideas should be added as part of a growing process, like any living body. The growth will bring changes afterall. New adds shall not always arrive as change, but as improvements. When real changes are needed they shell be implemented in small chunks. Small changes allow us to commit small mistakes. Most importantly, changes to the teaching process only can be implemented along with changing in the evaluation of learning.
Dear Sribas,
" ... memorizing certain paragraphs from books and evaluation on the basis of "bookish knowledge" still persist"
It is like you stole it from my thoughts about Greek educational system. I realize that we have many commons with India. Anyway, I think that targeting the problem is a first step for solving it. Good luck to both our countries...
I sadly have to concur with Sribas and would go a little bit further:
1)Today's educational system is based on a business model and not on education(at least in the places where I have visited)
2) Professors are encouraged to test memory since this is an "unbiased" evaluations based on a textbook. Real knowledge takes time and effort to really test it.
3) Students expect professors to use the methodology in 2
4) The system is a one size fits all where we must conform to a set of strict outlines and outcomes that must be achieved. This is the rules of averages in education since you cannot go and teach advanced subjects if the students get bored with basic material or teach at a slower pace if the students "don't get it".
5) The way tests are administered test what a student does not know and not what a student really knows.
6) Compartamentalization of knowledge is the norm in the educational system. No wonder we lack the inventiveness of previous generations were we have Renaissance Men and Women.
7) Today's textbooks are badly written(I am making a generalization that has some exceptions). Especially in math were it is a "substitute in the box" phenomenon. Students bypass the reasoning part and just put in the correct formula to get the answer. Deep level reasoning is hard to evaluate (can have multiple branches) and requires the development of an art, and that is why it is hard to evaluate.
Deep rooted biases need to be changed in the system and we must encourage the system to break away from a factory/ business model. If we break away from "education as a factory/business", then all other points described will follow towards a corrective path.
The next generation of engineering students will have the most exciting period in human history for science and engineering. Exponential advances in knowledge, instrumentation, communication, and computational capabilities have created mind-boggling possibilities, and students are cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries in unprecedented ways. Indeed, the distinction between science and engineering in some domains has been blurred to extinction, which raises some serious issues for engineering education.
Educating Engineers for 2020 and Beyond, Charles M. Vest, President Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an NAE member. This article is based on a talk given on October 10, 2005, at the NAE Annual Meeting
We have to teach our students not only to learn but how to learn, with massive use of technology and available different aids. Internet is unavoidable! Your fine question on Higher Education for 21st century had many good answers! I liked very much the following "...learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be."
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Reformulation_of_Higher_Education_for_21st_century_What_is_your_view
Dear Sribas,
I think the biggest lack of knowledge is that most of the students cannot think and cannot even learn. They have not learned how to think and how to learn. This is partly a “methodological” shortage and partly a want for intention and real interest. Certainly, this qualify the earlier education (elementary and high school) and the activity of parents.
The present education system is lacking the process of building the student character.
As students grow in character, they grow in their capacity and commitment to do their best work, do the right thing and lead lives of purpose. Character education done early and well, puts students toward successful life outcomes (Victor Battistich).
Schools should develop a sense of self-worth and competence in students. character-building is becoming an increasingly a very important issue in schools.
The challenge of a teacher is to motivate the students. For effective erudition in the lecture hall a tutor has to sort an informative allocution. The student should partake and retain the information. The instructor should have thought-provoking acquaintance about the topic. The learning should be made enjoyable and edifying. In order to make the students use their full potential, a teacher should make the learning fun and it needs to be inspiring for the students. The lecture hall should be a friendly and respected place. The teachers should be more acceptable and approve the passion among the students. There need to be a greater involvement of students which should result in more responsibility. Students should be made to work in groups and participate in the classroom. Ingenious teaching stratagems encompass open ended questions and classroom discussions. Students should be allowed to think disparagingly about the topic and allowed to come up with pioneering ideas. They should think authoritatively and contribute trendily. There need to be ways such that the students become more inquisitive and the mind-sets need to be more avant-garde. There should be an element of ingenuity which would make the sessions attention-grabbing and intermingling. The creativity and perfect curriculum will help the students to be innovative and they will learn new things. The upgrading in emotional and social skills can be attained if the students are good communicators. The important thing for student is to acquire education and apply it into their lives. A good sense of emotional development can be attained by acquiring creative expressions. The students should believe in their own creativity such that they will be inspired. They should be able to express the ideas, fearlessly. They need to take part in classroom discussions, debates and field trips. They should be given a chance to have freedom of expression. This will give them a sense of satisfaction. They should continuously contribute to the learning sessions. They can build up a good confidence level when they are allowed to show their true emotions in a creative manner. Teachers need to promote creative team building activities, debates and brain storming sessions. Students need to work in stress-free environment. The anxiety levels need to be reduced. There need to be flexibility in all the matters to create a good classroom environment. The brain storming and leading skills can stimulate the problem solving. They need to be encouraging to think out of box and more imaginatively and innovatively. The conformist ways of teachings should be circumvented such that the attentiveness of students is kept intact which should encompass regular breaks. In order to have an efficacious life the students need to outclass in their academics. The students should be allowed to follow drawing, music, poetry and other forms of art. This will improve their ingenious talents and augment the academic wisdom. Students should be able to apply their knowledge in real life situations. It is the need of the hour that the students should be able to manage the requirements of the latest workplace.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Books